Narrative:

It was a VFR trip from N72 to bvy. WX was better than 5 mi visibility with a broken layer at 8500'. Accompanying me on this flight was my father, who is also a pilot. We climbed to and remained at 5500' for the majority of the trip. The route of flight was direct pwaling VOR, direct chester VOR, direct gardner VOR, direct. Received VFR flight following from windsor locks approach during the en route portion of the flight and from ZBW near the termination of the flight. Since it was beautiful VFR day, the controllers were very busy--so much so, they denied other flts VFR advisories. The problem came about 12 mi from bvy. Both my father and I were unsure of where bvy was located, and were attempting to sort out our position by locating landmarks on the sectional chart. Bos approach issued an instruction: 'you are 12 mi west of bvy, turn left to 70 and descend to 2000'.' I understood the instruction to be, 'you are past bvy 12 mi, turn left 270 degrees, descend to 2000',' and read back same to the controller. No corrections were issued by the controller, so I assumed *you know what assume stands for) my read back and understanding of the instructions were correct. My father asked me if the controller meant 070 degrees, and I told him no, 270 degrees, since I had read the instructions back to the controller and he didn't correct them (first mistake). I followed the instructions and leveled at 2000' and reported what I believed was bvy at 12 O'clock. The controller got back on the frequency and very sternly asked me what my last instructions were. I told the controller I understood them to be, 'left to 270 and down to 2000.' he replied it was, 'left to 070, make an immediate hard left turn,' presumably to keep me out of what I now realize was the hanscom air traffic area. Hard left was commenced and a heading of 080 degrees was suggested by the controller who also said that bvy was by the ocean (second mistake). Spoke with bvy tower and issued instructions to report a 2 mi left base for runway 34. I was unnerved by the previous episode. I flew into the base leg and didn't report it. Fortunately, the tower controller saw us and cleared us to land west/O incident (third mistake). In regard to the first and second mistake, I should have had a positional awareness and that once there was the slightest doubt about an instruction, I should have clarified it. I also suggest that any heading assignment or turning instructions beginning with the numeral 2 should be proceeded with the word 'heading,' and not the word 'to.' the third mistake could have been prevented by remembering to fly the aircraft first and not rehashing the past incident in one's mind to determined who was at fault. This can be done on the ground with the aircraft tied down.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MULTIPLE DEVIATIONS FROM ATC CLRNC GIVES REPORTER REASON TO REFLECT ON MISTAKES IN CLRNC INTERP AND NAVIGATION ERROR.

Narrative: IT WAS A VFR TRIP FROM N72 TO BVY. WX WAS BETTER THAN 5 MI VISIBILITY WITH A BROKEN LAYER AT 8500'. ACCOMPANYING ME ON THIS FLT WAS MY FATHER, WHO IS ALSO A PLT. WE CLBED TO AND REMAINED AT 5500' FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE TRIP. THE RTE OF FLT WAS DIRECT PWALING VOR, DIRECT CHESTER VOR, DIRECT GARDNER VOR, DIRECT. RECEIVED VFR FLT FOLLOWING FROM WINDSOR LOCKS APCH DURING THE ENRTE PORTION OF THE FLT AND FROM ZBW NEAR THE TERMINATION OF THE FLT. SINCE IT WAS BEAUTIFUL VFR DAY, THE CTLRS WERE VERY BUSY--SO MUCH SO, THEY DENIED OTHER FLTS VFR ADVISORIES. THE PROB CAME ABOUT 12 MI FROM BVY. BOTH MY FATHER AND I WERE UNSURE OF WHERE BVY WAS LOCATED, AND WERE ATTEMPTING TO SORT OUT OUR POS BY LOCATING LANDMARKS ON THE SECTIONAL CHART. BOS APCH ISSUED AN INSTRUCTION: 'YOU ARE 12 MI W OF BVY, TURN LEFT TO 70 AND DSND TO 2000'.' I UNDERSTOOD THE INSTRUCTION TO BE, 'YOU ARE PAST BVY 12 MI, TURN LEFT 270 DEGS, DSND TO 2000',' AND READ BACK SAME TO THE CTLR. NO CORRECTIONS WERE ISSUED BY THE CTLR, SO I ASSUMED *YOU KNOW WHAT ASSUME STANDS FOR) MY READ BACK AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE INSTRUCTIONS WERE CORRECT. MY FATHER ASKED ME IF THE CTLR MEANT 070 DEGS, AND I TOLD HIM NO, 270 DEGS, SINCE I HAD READ THE INSTRUCTIONS BACK TO THE CTLR AND HE DIDN'T CORRECT THEM (FIRST MISTAKE). I FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS AND LEVELED AT 2000' AND RPTED WHAT I BELIEVED WAS BVY AT 12 O'CLOCK. THE CTLR GOT BACK ON THE FREQ AND VERY STERNLY ASKED ME WHAT MY LAST INSTRUCTIONS WERE. I TOLD THE CTLR I UNDERSTOOD THEM TO BE, 'LEFT TO 270 AND DOWN TO 2000.' HE REPLIED IT WAS, 'LEFT TO 070, MAKE AN IMMEDIATE HARD LEFT TURN,' PRESUMABLY TO KEEP ME OUT OF WHAT I NOW REALIZE WAS THE HANSCOM ATA. HARD LEFT WAS COMMENCED AND A HDG OF 080 DEGS WAS SUGGESTED BY THE CTLR WHO ALSO SAID THAT BVY WAS BY THE OCEAN (SECOND MISTAKE). SPOKE WITH BVY TWR AND ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS TO RPT A 2 MI LEFT BASE FOR RWY 34. I WAS UNNERVED BY THE PREVIOUS EPISODE. I FLEW INTO THE BASE LEG AND DIDN'T RPT IT. FORTUNATELY, THE TWR CTLR SAW US AND CLRED US TO LAND W/O INCIDENT (THIRD MISTAKE). IN REGARD TO THE FIRST AND SECOND MISTAKE, I SHOULD HAVE HAD A POSITIONAL AWARENESS AND THAT ONCE THERE WAS THE SLIGHTEST DOUBT ABOUT AN INSTRUCTION, I SHOULD HAVE CLARIFIED IT. I ALSO SUGGEST THAT ANY HDG ASSIGNMENT OR TURNING INSTRUCTIONS BEGINNING WITH THE NUMERAL 2 SHOULD BE PROCEEDED WITH THE WORD 'HDG,' AND NOT THE WORD 'TO.' THE THIRD MISTAKE COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY REMEMBERING TO FLY THE ACFT FIRST AND NOT REHASHING THE PAST INCIDENT IN ONE'S MIND TO DETERMINED WHO WAS AT FAULT. THIS CAN BE DONE ON THE GND WITH THE ACFT TIED DOWN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.